Promising Practices in Refugee Education: Synthesis Report

SYNTHESIS REPORT 1 ABOUT THIS REPORT Promising Practices in Refugee Education is a Approaching the immediate crisis with joint initiative of Save the Children, the world’s a long-term perspective: largest independent children’s rights organisation, 1. Strengthen inclusive national systems UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and Pearson, 2. Commit to predictable multi-year funding for education the world’s learning company. programming and research in refugee responses 3. Improve collaboration and develop innovative partnerships Launched in March 2017, the initiative set out to identify, document and promote innovative ways to effectively reach refugee children Understanding different contexts and meeting distinct needs and young people with quality educational opportunities. 4. Adopt user-centred design and empowering approaches This report synthesises the key findings and lessons learned from 5. Establish diverse pathways that meet distinct needs across more than twenty projects that were selected as part of the 6. Use space and infrastructure creatively initiative. Projects have been grouped under one or more of six themes. Improving outcomes for all 7. Support teachers to help ensure quality Equity 8. Prioritise both learning and well-being Access 9. Use technology as an enabling tool in pursuit of education Learning outcomes 10. Build a robust evidence base Wellbeing Technology System Strengthening Those projects and the experience of implementing partners have been used to identify ten recommendations, grouped under three overarching pillars, aimed at improving refugee education policy and practice. Cover Image: A Sudanese refugee boy smiles broadly at a gym class at the St. Andrew’s Refugee Services centre in Cairo, Egypt. © Scott Nelson/UNHCR 2 FOREWORD Migration and displacement dominate our news media, and for However, the identification, testing and replication of new and good reason: the world is witnessing the highest levels of human innovative ways to provide education also have an important part to displacement on record. An unprecedented 65.3 million people play, which is the purpose of this initiative and the Synthesis report. around the world have been forced from their homes. Among them We are delighted that so many organisations responded to our call are nearly 21.3 million refugees: people who have fled their country for proposals, and that more than twenty projects were identified, seeking protection from violence or persecution. And over half of and have now been documented. Those case studies will be an the world’s refugees are children. important contribution to global knowledge of good practice, in the field of refugee education. From them, we have identified ten Refugee children are five times more likely to be out of school recommendations aimed at improving refugee education policy and than non-refugee children. Just over half have access to primary practice, which we hope will receive wide support. education, but only 22 per cent have the chance to attend secondary school, and just one per cent attend university. This We hope our collaboration - which brought together civil society, stands in stark contrast to the priority that refugee children, and the private sector and the UN - inspires others to work together to their parents, put on education. They see schooling as a source of deliver on the promise of education for refugee children. hope and opportunity, and they are right. If we neglect this essential task, we will be failing to nurture peace The returns on investing in education are immense and far-reaching. and prosperity. Education provides the keys to a future, in which Education gives children a place of safety, and can also reduce refugees can empower themselves and their communities, which early marriage, child labour, and military recruitment by armed ultimately benefits us all. groups. It enables refugees to fulfil their potential improving their job prospects, as well as boosting their confidence and self-esteem. It is also central to building peaceful and prosperous communities, either where they seek refuge, or on their return to their country of origin. But, the barriers to accessing education for refugees remain formidable. All too often, education for refugee children is considered a luxury, a non-essential optional extra after food, water, shelter and medical care. It is the first item to drop off the list when funding is short, which remains a perennial problem. Closing the refugee education funding gap is urgently required, and something that we are all committed to. Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Filippo Grandi, Kate James, Chief Executive, UN High Commissioner Chief Corporate Affairs and Save the Children for Refugees, Global Marketing Officer, International UNHCR Pearson Photo: Day Klui Paw*, 10 years old, in her classroom at Mae La Camp, Mae Sot, Thailand. She loves going to school because she can find all the teachers and friends she loves in one place. © Egan Hwan/Save the Children 3 INTRODUCTION The refugee education crisis The failure to provide education to the growing number of refugee children must be addressed urgently. Quality education is a human The world is witnessing the highest levels of human displacement right. It is also one of the most important investments a country can on record. An unprecedented 65.3 million people around the world make in individuals, communities and the economy — making it a have been forced from their homes. Among them are over 21 million social and economic imperative. During displacement, the need for refugees: people who have fled their country seeking protection education, for safe, nurturing environments, for hope for the future from violence or persecution. Over half of the world’s refugees are and a path to rebuild, is even more critical. under the age of 18. There is growing recognition of, and support for, providing education Unfortunately, the majority of refugee children experience the services to refugees. During 2016, education in humanitarian double jeopardy of losing both their homes and their education. On situations in general and for refugees in particular, became the average, refugee children are five times less likely to attend school focus of the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference, the than other children. Indeed, only 50% of refugee children are in World Humanitarian Summit, the UN General Assembly and the primary school, 22% in secondary school and only 1% enter tertiary Leaders’ Summit. Education for refugees was also a principal driver education streams. Girls and children with disabilities are even of the establishment of Education Cannot Wait, a global fund for more likely to be out of school. Where refugee children and young education in emergencies. people can access education, the quality is often poor, putting their learning and well-being at risk. Whilst the challenges of providing education to the world’s refugee children are contextual, multiple and varied, with sustained attention, sufficient political will, and a commitment to creativity and innovation, they can, and must, be overcome. 4 INNOVATION IN EDUCATION FOR REFUGEES Catalysing solutions for refugee education at scale requires The case studies cover a wide geography, different age ranges and increased resource and political will, but also new and improved come from a variety of different types of organisations, working on ways of providing educational services. While innovative practices different issues using a wide range of programmatic approaches. in refugee education exist, they are often not well known or In short there is a wealth of fascinating education programming for understood outside of their context. refugees covered. Through the Promising Practices in Refugee Education initiative Brief summaries of all the case studies are available in the Annex (PPIRE), Save the Children, UNHCR and Pearson set out to to this report and detailed case studies are available on the initiative increase awareness of the important work happening in the sector; website. demonstrate the diverse ways in which organisations and individuals are responding to the challenge of providing quality education for Documentation for learning, replication and scale up refugees; enhance understanding of what works both in individual According to the World Bank, ‘a case study is not just another projects and across them; and use the experiences and insights “story” but an important method of applied and empirical research. gained to inform policy and practice. Case studies can provide a clearer understanding of the sequence The initiative also shines a light on the demand for education from of events and balance the perspectives of key actors, helping us refugee children themselves, along with the inspiring lengths to untangle cause and effect.’ which refugee communities are prepared to go to ensure that their Documenting good practice creates a record of what actions children can in fact continue to learn. took place, when, and how they led to a positive outcome and can Organisations working in refugee settings across the globe, from contribute to the process of learning within a group, organisation, small grass roots groups to large INGOs, were invited to apply to geographical area or sector. participate in the promising practices initiative. Applications focused The principal goal of the Promising Practices in Refugee Education on the key themes of access, quality, well-being, equity, technology initiative was to contribute to that learning process and ultimately

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